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PA Comic: Monday, Jan 9, 2012 - Bedeviled

RankenphilePassersby were amazedby the unusually large amounts of blood.Registered User, Moderatormod

Great comic and post today, as someone who's on 10mg daily I can relate. I think the reason I take the drug is a little different from either Gabe or Tycho, but it's still made such a huge difference in my day-to-day existence.

I created an account just to comment on this strip. Loved the strip for years now, but don't game enough as I'd like to anymore. (I only just got round to Portal 2 last week!)

I was on citalopram (a closely related compound to Lexapro) for about a year. It helped my mood, but my life didn't get any better. I'm now off the meds but seeing a really great psychologist and things are looking up.

I just want to say that in my experience, medication is great for a short while and particularly severe depressive episodes, but it's not a long term solution. Real professional help from a qualified and experienced therapist is the only way to get on with the rest of your life.

(Edit - of course, full on manic-depression or bipolar disorder is way worse than what I had, which was a life-sapping ever-present sense of apathy and ennui).

dasein on January 2012

0

HenroidHow do you get a centrist to change their mind?Take away their privilege.Registered Userregular

I created an account just to comment on this strip. Loved the strip for years now, but don't game enough as I'd like to anymore. (I only just got round to Portal 2 last week!)

I was on citalopram (a closely related compound to Lexapro) for about a year. It helped my mood, but my life didn't get any better. I'm now off the meds but seeing a really great psychologist and things are looking up.

I just want to say that in my experience, medication is great for a short while and particularly severe depressive episodes, but it's not a long term solution. Real professional help from a qualified and experienced therapist is the only way to get on with the rest of your life.

(Edit - of course, full on manic-depression or bipolar disorder is way worse than what I had, which was a life-sapping ever-present sense of apathy and ennui).

There's exceptions. I'm on Lexapro for general anxiety disorder, which I've had forever. No depression at all, to date every other method besides the pills haven't worked. My quality of life has improved a lot since I started taking it. A therapist wouldn't be able to help in my position.

Wait, that post confused me quite a bit. I don't read too many of the posts, so I'm not sure what Tycho's diagnosis is. Based on the drug, I thought it was depression or GAD.

But then I read this bit, "the upper and lower extremes of the sine wave are lopped off", which sounds a lot like bipolar disorder, and then this bit, "the crest feels like being converted cell by cell into living electricity, I mean it’s literally incredible" sounded pretty much identical to a description of a manic state.

Now I'm quite confused. I was under the impression that Lexapro was an SSRI, not a mood stabilizer. Moreover, I was under the impression that bipolar disorder almost always involved at least a mood stabilizer, with potentially an SSRI added too.

So, where am I wrong? If Tycho isn't diagnosed with bipolar, what's with the eloquent description of a manic state? If Tycho is diagnosed with bipolar, is Lexapro the only med he takes? Cuz I didn't think Lexapro would serve to stabilize moods, but now I'm just confused.

Wait, that post confused me quite a bit. I don't read too many of the posts, so I'm not sure what Tycho's diagnosis is. Based on the drug, I thought it was depression or GAD.

But then I read this bit, "the upper and lower extremes of the sine wave are lopped off", which sounds a lot like bipolar disorder, and then this bit, "the crest feels like being converted cell by cell into living electricity, I mean it’s literally incredible" sounded pretty much identical to a description of a manic state.

Now I'm quite confused. I was under the impression that Lexapro was an SSRI, not a mood stabilizer. Moreover, I was under the impression that bipolar disorder almost always involved at least a mood stabilizer, with potentially an SSRI added too.

So, where am I wrong? If Tycho isn't diagnosed with bipolar, what's with the eloquent description of a manic state? If Tycho is diagnosed with bipolar, is Lexapro the only med he takes? Cuz I didn't think Lexapro would serve to stabilize moods, but now I'm just confused.

Lexapro can absolutely be a mod stabilizer. I used to take if off label for my fibromyalgia and it definitely evens out the peaks of life. Its really not noticeable until you are off it and it clears your system. In my case its like a light switch.

Plus I can totally relate to off the drug manic states even though it was not something I ever had problems with. On meds I can barely strum together three chords. Off the meds I can play like the wind, improvise and even my piano skills are vastly improved which makes no sense to me.

I'm actually kind of curious if he felt like he was more creative off of lexapro. I haven't noticed a huge difference since I went on it (creatively, that is), but the irrational paranoia in me will not miss an opportunity to suggest that part of my personality may have been chemically lopped off.

Lexapro can absolutely be a mod stabilizer. I used to take if off label for my fibromyalgia and it definitely evens out the peaks of life. Its really not noticeable until you are off it and it clears your system. In my case its like a light switch.

Plus I can totally relate to off the drug manic states even though it was not something I ever had problems with. On meds I can barely strum together three chords. Off the meds I can play like the wind, improvise and even my piano skills are vastly improved which makes no sense to me.

Now I'm quite confused. I did a bit more researching, and cannot find anything official looking that suggests Lexapro can be used as a mood stabilizer. Moreover, I have found references that it's risky to prescribe Lexapro without a mood stabilizer to someone with bipolar because it increases the risk for manic episodes. I'm not a psychopharm expert, but nothing about an SSRI should theoretically reduce manic symptoms, in my mind.

I'm wondering if you actually mean Lexapro reduces manic states for you, or if you just mean Lexapro reduces your creativity. Although Tycho discussed the effects of Lexapro on his creativity, that's really not the manic state part. Manic states are... I guess like taking the most clean and perfect form of meth humanly possible. You have limitless energy, no need for sleep, you're ridiculously social and think everyone loves you (when in reality you're often acting quite bizarre and weirding people out). I mean honestly, Tycho put it best-- you feel like you are converted into living electricity.

So I'm a little unclear, do you mean that you have legit manic episodes and taking Lexapro on its own appears to prevent them? And are you diagnosed bipolar officially, and take no official mood stabilizer?

One time, I had a friend over to play a bit of Red Alert on my LAN. During the game he said he needed to go to the bathroom, so we paused it. After about 10 minutes of wondering where the hell he went, I get up and go to check on him.

Wait, that post confused me quite a bit. I don't read too many of the posts, so I'm not sure what Tycho's diagnosis is. Based on the drug, I thought it was depression or GAD.

But then I read this bit, "the upper and lower extremes of the sine wave are lopped off", which sounds a lot like bipolar disorder, and then this bit, "the crest feels like being converted cell by cell into living electricity, I mean it’s literally incredible" sounded pretty much identical to a description of a manic state.

Now I'm quite confused. I was under the impression that Lexapro was an SSRI, not a mood stabilizer. Moreover, I was under the impression that bipolar disorder almost always involved at least a mood stabilizer, with potentially an SSRI added too.

So, where am I wrong? If Tycho isn't diagnosed with bipolar, what's with the eloquent description of a manic state? If Tycho is diagnosed with bipolar, is Lexapro the only med he takes? Cuz I didn't think Lexapro would serve to stabilize moods, but now I'm just confused.

Yeah, I saw myself overusing the phrase. I need to expand my vocabulary when I want to say I suspect someone is wrong but am not an expert in that specific field so I don't want to state it too strongly.

This reminds me of that anime where the guy uses/transforms into a giant evil alien robot to fight evil alien robots, but every time he does it he becomes more like the evil aliens. I saw it when I was like four so don't quote me on that plot. But yeah, when you think about it like that, Tycho becomes quite the tragic heroic figure. /salute

This reminds me of that anime where the guy uses/transforms into a giant evil alien robot to fight evil alien robots, but every time he does it he becomes more like the evil aliens. I saw it when I was like four so don't quote me on that plot. But yeah, when you think about it like that, Tycho becomes quite the tragic heroic figure. /salute

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Ive been on 40mg of ssris for 10 years and now im starting to come off of it. Ive read that coming off can be harder than heroine withdrawl. Tycho is right now, it absolutely clips your highs and lows. Ive never felt so much emotion as long as I can remember - but id rather be honest with myself than take it anymore. I want to know what Im really like again